Author Note and Disclaimer: Okay, hi people. I don't own YYH. Don't sue
me. Thank you KaoKitty2 for reviewing, and, like I said, the cute
waffiness that fangirls like you and I feed upon is coming. I'm just
trying to keep people somewhat in character... Okeeday? Okeeday.
Chapter 14
Koenma, Hiei, and Lanecia arrived at Genkai's temple in roughly twenty minutes. Hiei had begun to yell at the Reikai portal officials (Spirit World officers that control portals to the other two worlds). He was (through he would never admit it) quite worried about Lanecia. While they had been rushing to the portal, Lanecia's old wounds had reopened from too much movement and she was now beginning to cough up blood, bright red with a white, pearl-like tint. Hiei remembered not to swallow any (Of course he did, it just wouldn't do to have a dead main character, would it?). Running up the steps to Genkai's Temple as fast as he could (and that's damn fast, folks), Hiei cradled Lanecia's seemingly lifeless body in his arms, trying not to jolt her about too much so her wounds wouldn't become worse. Soon enough, Hiei stopped at the door of Genkai's huge temple. Normally, he wouldn't have been to polite to a mere human, but he (oddly enough) had a lot of respect for the old psychic, and really needed her help right now.
Hiei- "GENKAI-SAMA!!!!!" He yelled, in the loudest voice he could muster. As soon as this was heard, Yusuke, of all people, in his training clothes, came running out to thank the person that had interrupted his "visit" (::Ahem!::training::Hem!!!::). He froze when he saw Hiei, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw whom he was carrying.
Yusuke- "Holy Shit!!!!!! What the hell happened to Lani??!!!!!"
Hiei- "Koenma's coming to explain in a minute, baka, so hurry up! Where's Genkai?!! Lani needs help, NOW!"
Yusuke- "Yeah! Come on, Hiei. Follow me! She's inside a little ways. Yukina's here!!! Come on!" Yusuke ran off inside, and Hiei ran after him, having no trouble keeping up with him, he only wanted Yusuke to go faster. Lanecia's wounds were only getting worse. Her blood was spilling everywhere... Yusuke burst into a room. Genkai sat next to Yukina on a mat, and next to Yukina sat a certain young girl, that Hiei paid no attention to.
Hiei- "Genkai-dono! Lanecia..... needs help... .... o.. onegai. (Onegai = Please)" Genkai and Yukina stood up quickly, and Yukina rushed over to her brother. At once, Yukina saw that the thing Hiei was carrying was Lanecia.
Yukina- "Oh my goodness!!!!! No! What happened to Lani?!! How did she get like this? What happened?!!! Hiei, tell me what happened to Lani!" A clatter was heard as the small girl dropped her tea cup at the sound of the name and it shattered on the floor. "Oh, oh no.... What have I said...."
Shuurin- "L-l-l-l-l Lani??? Onee-tan?" The small, black haired child looked up at Hiei with tears in her eyes. "What happened to Onee- tan?!!!!"
Genkai instructed Hiei to bring Lanecia, as carefully as he could, to a small, blue colored room a short way down the hallway. He laid her down on a small futon that was set up against the far wall, and Genkai went to work. Yukina stayed behind to keep Shuurin from following them until they knew what was going on. Hiei was ordered to leave the room soon enough, as Genkai insisted on fully examining all of her wounds, and some of the slashes were located where the elderly psychic would not allow Hiei to look, nor did he really want to. ( : P)
He left and went to the room where Yukina, Yusuke, and Shuurin had been and still were. Of course, they were now joined by Koenma, who was watching Shuurin sadly. Yukina and Yusuke were explaining the manner of events that occurred two months ago in Verfaren.
Koenma- "So, Yukina, do you have an idea why Lanecia would try to open a portal?"
Yukina- "I've had an idea... but she would never tell us. She wouldn't tell us anything."
Koenma- "Well, I have an idea about it as well... Do you think that Lanecia was opening the portal for the little girl? When I personally examined the preparations for the portal, it seemed too small, even for Lani. It seems to be just the right size for Shuurin.... Why didn't she tell us? I would've forgiven her, I would've brought the child to the Ningenkai myself! Normal humans are easily switched over to the Ningenkai if they stumble into the Makai."
Yukina- "Shuurin isn't a 'normal human', Lord Koenma. She a hanyou."
Koenma- "What?"
Shuurin- "Excuse me, sir. But is Onee-tan in trouble? Is she gonna be okay?"
Koenma- "I... I don't know..." Genkai walked somberly into the room, closing the door behind her. "Genkai-sama? How is she?"
Genkai- "Physically, she will heal. Not particularly quickly, mind you, but she will heal."
Hiei- "And what about mentally?"
Genkai- "I don't know. She has closed herself off from the world. Her mind is blank. Wandering. Lost. I can't heal her. She's been quiet for some time. Have you ever gone to check on her in prison, Koenma?"
Koenma- "Yes, I did. Once... She was quiet. She wouldn't say a thing. But she wasn't in this state of mind. She looked around, her eyes still had a small spark of life in them... but now... there isn't one... What's going on? How do we fix it?"
Genkai- "We can't. She'll 'fix it' herself. And if she's too weak to do it, that's her fault."
Yukina- "Maybe she doesn't want to."
Shuurin- "May I see Onee-tan? Please?"
Genkai- "Yes, I suppose you can... but don't be angry with what you see..."
Inside the room.....
Hiei- "What... happened to her? Genkai-san?"
Yusuke- "Oh... my.... GOD!!!! What the hell happened?!!!!"
Lani was lying on a small futon next to a window, she was covered with a blanket for the most part, but her head was bandaged and her hair in a small, loose braid which was draped over her shoulder. The most disturbing part was... her eyes were wide open. Wide open and absolutely blank. They were dull, a very dull dark red, simply staring, emotionless, at the ceiling.
Genkai- "I don't rightfully know what happened. All I did was stop the bleeding and help her to heal most of the major external wounds, and I healed three broken ribs, bandaged her broken wrist, and stopped all of the internal bleeding. But I'll need to examine her further. She seems to have locked herself away from the world. Something happened while she was imprisoned. I just don't know what..."
Shuurin- "Onee-tan? Onee-tan!" The small girl, who had followed the four people to the room (Genkai, Yusuke, Hiei, and Koenma), was accompanied by Yukina. At the sight of her "older sister", Shuurin ran to the side of futon, tears streaming down her small face. Yukina quickly turned her face away from the melancholic sight. Koenma went forward to stand next to Shuurin's weeping form.
Shuurin- "Onee-tan! Onee-tan? Can you hear me? Pwease say you can hear me, Onee-tan! Pwease! Sister! Wake up! Pwease! o.... o.. o-Onee- tan!" Lani only blinked, slowly. She showed no recognition of anyone.
Koenma- "Is there anything I can do here, Genkai-dono?"
Genkai- ".... No... I don't think so, for the moment, at least..."
Koenma- "Well, then, I'll be heading out now. Whoever did this to her will pay. With their lives. I swear it on Lanecia's memory."
Hiei- "Don't say that! Don't you ever say that! She's not a memory! She's still alive, you idiot toddler! Your damned guards did this to her!"
Koenma- "Listen, Hiei. I'm sorry! I swear I am! But look at her! She's as good as dead! She's only living in body, not in soul! Her spirit isn't there! It's probably haunting the entrance to the Reikai as we speak! Listen, I'll tell Botan to go searching for her. At least we'll have her rest in peace."
Yusuke- "Rest in pieces, you mean. Her soul's separated from her body, you say? Well, I know what that's like. It sucks! It's like you're torn in two pieces! God!"
Koenma- "Nothing I can do about it now, Yusuke..."
Hiei- "If you're going to leave, then you'd damn better hurry up. I am really getting angry, and you are getting very close to being a new sheath for my katana, toddler. And I don't care if I'm imprisoned for it."
Koenma glanced at the somewhat short fire youkai, bowed to Genkai and Lanecia's body, and quickly left. Genkai took Yusuke and Yukina out of the room to talk about possible cures. Hiei simply stood uneasily in his bloodstained cloak, gazing uncomfortably at the small child huddled by the small bed, next to the petite young woman who could not even acknowledge their existence during her current state.
Hiei- 'I can't help feeling sorry for this child. Weakling though she is, she a half-breed too... She's like me... Her parents are gone. She's an outcast... But she has someone to take care of her. Or, at least, she did.... I think... I think that all Lanecia wanted to do... was to send Shuurin to the Ningenkai.... She could blend more easily here. Poor child... poor... little... child...' Hiei walked slowly over to the lamenting child and knelt next to her. "I'm sorry, Shuurin. I'll help her get better. We both will. Lanecia will recover. I promise. Now, stop crying, okay?" Shuurin stared at the odd fire koorime, and then nodded quietly. She took one more look at Lanecia's prone form, and she started crying again. She simply collapsed into Hiei's chest, and, oddly enough, he let her stay there. He just let her cry for about five minutes, until his cloak was thoroughly soaked with tears. Then, He picked her up, as if she was but an infant, and carried her quietly to a different room, away from Lanecia's seemingly lifeless body...
'I will save her... This is my fault... I didn't keep my promise... This is my fault...'
Author Note: Okay, my faithful and well-loved readers and reviewers! How I have missed you all! I am sooooo sorry for the lack of updates! Very busy, that I am! A big "thank you" to ::Deep breath here...:: Kaokitty2 for reviewing twice, Yukina-kun, and Candy Man. Yes, I know who you are... All of my reviewers inspire me! More reviews = more chapters! Thankee Everyone for not only reviewing, but reading! Fwee! Okay, I've got a few ideas that I'm toying with in my head... Any suggestions are much appreciated. Heehee... Okay then! Enjoy the somewhat long chapter! Ja ne! Yuffie Kisaragi, materiathief06...
Chapter 14
Koenma, Hiei, and Lanecia arrived at Genkai's temple in roughly twenty minutes. Hiei had begun to yell at the Reikai portal officials (Spirit World officers that control portals to the other two worlds). He was (through he would never admit it) quite worried about Lanecia. While they had been rushing to the portal, Lanecia's old wounds had reopened from too much movement and she was now beginning to cough up blood, bright red with a white, pearl-like tint. Hiei remembered not to swallow any (Of course he did, it just wouldn't do to have a dead main character, would it?). Running up the steps to Genkai's Temple as fast as he could (and that's damn fast, folks), Hiei cradled Lanecia's seemingly lifeless body in his arms, trying not to jolt her about too much so her wounds wouldn't become worse. Soon enough, Hiei stopped at the door of Genkai's huge temple. Normally, he wouldn't have been to polite to a mere human, but he (oddly enough) had a lot of respect for the old psychic, and really needed her help right now.
Hiei- "GENKAI-SAMA!!!!!" He yelled, in the loudest voice he could muster. As soon as this was heard, Yusuke, of all people, in his training clothes, came running out to thank the person that had interrupted his "visit" (::Ahem!::training::Hem!!!::). He froze when he saw Hiei, and his eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw whom he was carrying.
Yusuke- "Holy Shit!!!!!! What the hell happened to Lani??!!!!!"
Hiei- "Koenma's coming to explain in a minute, baka, so hurry up! Where's Genkai?!! Lani needs help, NOW!"
Yusuke- "Yeah! Come on, Hiei. Follow me! She's inside a little ways. Yukina's here!!! Come on!" Yusuke ran off inside, and Hiei ran after him, having no trouble keeping up with him, he only wanted Yusuke to go faster. Lanecia's wounds were only getting worse. Her blood was spilling everywhere... Yusuke burst into a room. Genkai sat next to Yukina on a mat, and next to Yukina sat a certain young girl, that Hiei paid no attention to.
Hiei- "Genkai-dono! Lanecia..... needs help... .... o.. onegai. (Onegai = Please)" Genkai and Yukina stood up quickly, and Yukina rushed over to her brother. At once, Yukina saw that the thing Hiei was carrying was Lanecia.
Yukina- "Oh my goodness!!!!! No! What happened to Lani?!! How did she get like this? What happened?!!! Hiei, tell me what happened to Lani!" A clatter was heard as the small girl dropped her tea cup at the sound of the name and it shattered on the floor. "Oh, oh no.... What have I said...."
Shuurin- "L-l-l-l-l Lani??? Onee-tan?" The small, black haired child looked up at Hiei with tears in her eyes. "What happened to Onee- tan?!!!!"
Genkai instructed Hiei to bring Lanecia, as carefully as he could, to a small, blue colored room a short way down the hallway. He laid her down on a small futon that was set up against the far wall, and Genkai went to work. Yukina stayed behind to keep Shuurin from following them until they knew what was going on. Hiei was ordered to leave the room soon enough, as Genkai insisted on fully examining all of her wounds, and some of the slashes were located where the elderly psychic would not allow Hiei to look, nor did he really want to. ( : P)
He left and went to the room where Yukina, Yusuke, and Shuurin had been and still were. Of course, they were now joined by Koenma, who was watching Shuurin sadly. Yukina and Yusuke were explaining the manner of events that occurred two months ago in Verfaren.
Koenma- "So, Yukina, do you have an idea why Lanecia would try to open a portal?"
Yukina- "I've had an idea... but she would never tell us. She wouldn't tell us anything."
Koenma- "Well, I have an idea about it as well... Do you think that Lanecia was opening the portal for the little girl? When I personally examined the preparations for the portal, it seemed too small, even for Lani. It seems to be just the right size for Shuurin.... Why didn't she tell us? I would've forgiven her, I would've brought the child to the Ningenkai myself! Normal humans are easily switched over to the Ningenkai if they stumble into the Makai."
Yukina- "Shuurin isn't a 'normal human', Lord Koenma. She a hanyou."
Koenma- "What?"
Shuurin- "Excuse me, sir. But is Onee-tan in trouble? Is she gonna be okay?"
Koenma- "I... I don't know..." Genkai walked somberly into the room, closing the door behind her. "Genkai-sama? How is she?"
Genkai- "Physically, she will heal. Not particularly quickly, mind you, but she will heal."
Hiei- "And what about mentally?"
Genkai- "I don't know. She has closed herself off from the world. Her mind is blank. Wandering. Lost. I can't heal her. She's been quiet for some time. Have you ever gone to check on her in prison, Koenma?"
Koenma- "Yes, I did. Once... She was quiet. She wouldn't say a thing. But she wasn't in this state of mind. She looked around, her eyes still had a small spark of life in them... but now... there isn't one... What's going on? How do we fix it?"
Genkai- "We can't. She'll 'fix it' herself. And if she's too weak to do it, that's her fault."
Yukina- "Maybe she doesn't want to."
Shuurin- "May I see Onee-tan? Please?"
Genkai- "Yes, I suppose you can... but don't be angry with what you see..."
Inside the room.....
Hiei- "What... happened to her? Genkai-san?"
Yusuke- "Oh... my.... GOD!!!! What the hell happened?!!!!"
Lani was lying on a small futon next to a window, she was covered with a blanket for the most part, but her head was bandaged and her hair in a small, loose braid which was draped over her shoulder. The most disturbing part was... her eyes were wide open. Wide open and absolutely blank. They were dull, a very dull dark red, simply staring, emotionless, at the ceiling.
Genkai- "I don't rightfully know what happened. All I did was stop the bleeding and help her to heal most of the major external wounds, and I healed three broken ribs, bandaged her broken wrist, and stopped all of the internal bleeding. But I'll need to examine her further. She seems to have locked herself away from the world. Something happened while she was imprisoned. I just don't know what..."
Shuurin- "Onee-tan? Onee-tan!" The small girl, who had followed the four people to the room (Genkai, Yusuke, Hiei, and Koenma), was accompanied by Yukina. At the sight of her "older sister", Shuurin ran to the side of futon, tears streaming down her small face. Yukina quickly turned her face away from the melancholic sight. Koenma went forward to stand next to Shuurin's weeping form.
Shuurin- "Onee-tan! Onee-tan? Can you hear me? Pwease say you can hear me, Onee-tan! Pwease! Sister! Wake up! Pwease! o.... o.. o-Onee- tan!" Lani only blinked, slowly. She showed no recognition of anyone.
Koenma- "Is there anything I can do here, Genkai-dono?"
Genkai- ".... No... I don't think so, for the moment, at least..."
Koenma- "Well, then, I'll be heading out now. Whoever did this to her will pay. With their lives. I swear it on Lanecia's memory."
Hiei- "Don't say that! Don't you ever say that! She's not a memory! She's still alive, you idiot toddler! Your damned guards did this to her!"
Koenma- "Listen, Hiei. I'm sorry! I swear I am! But look at her! She's as good as dead! She's only living in body, not in soul! Her spirit isn't there! It's probably haunting the entrance to the Reikai as we speak! Listen, I'll tell Botan to go searching for her. At least we'll have her rest in peace."
Yusuke- "Rest in pieces, you mean. Her soul's separated from her body, you say? Well, I know what that's like. It sucks! It's like you're torn in two pieces! God!"
Koenma- "Nothing I can do about it now, Yusuke..."
Hiei- "If you're going to leave, then you'd damn better hurry up. I am really getting angry, and you are getting very close to being a new sheath for my katana, toddler. And I don't care if I'm imprisoned for it."
Koenma glanced at the somewhat short fire youkai, bowed to Genkai and Lanecia's body, and quickly left. Genkai took Yusuke and Yukina out of the room to talk about possible cures. Hiei simply stood uneasily in his bloodstained cloak, gazing uncomfortably at the small child huddled by the small bed, next to the petite young woman who could not even acknowledge their existence during her current state.
Hiei- 'I can't help feeling sorry for this child. Weakling though she is, she a half-breed too... She's like me... Her parents are gone. She's an outcast... But she has someone to take care of her. Or, at least, she did.... I think... I think that all Lanecia wanted to do... was to send Shuurin to the Ningenkai.... She could blend more easily here. Poor child... poor... little... child...' Hiei walked slowly over to the lamenting child and knelt next to her. "I'm sorry, Shuurin. I'll help her get better. We both will. Lanecia will recover. I promise. Now, stop crying, okay?" Shuurin stared at the odd fire koorime, and then nodded quietly. She took one more look at Lanecia's prone form, and she started crying again. She simply collapsed into Hiei's chest, and, oddly enough, he let her stay there. He just let her cry for about five minutes, until his cloak was thoroughly soaked with tears. Then, He picked her up, as if she was but an infant, and carried her quietly to a different room, away from Lanecia's seemingly lifeless body...
'I will save her... This is my fault... I didn't keep my promise... This is my fault...'
Author Note: Okay, my faithful and well-loved readers and reviewers! How I have missed you all! I am sooooo sorry for the lack of updates! Very busy, that I am! A big "thank you" to ::Deep breath here...:: Kaokitty2 for reviewing twice, Yukina-kun, and Candy Man. Yes, I know who you are... All of my reviewers inspire me! More reviews = more chapters! Thankee Everyone for not only reviewing, but reading! Fwee! Okay, I've got a few ideas that I'm toying with in my head... Any suggestions are much appreciated. Heehee... Okay then! Enjoy the somewhat long chapter! Ja ne! Yuffie Kisaragi, materiathief06...
